Salehi Rejects Report on 'Secret Exemptions' for Iran's Nuclear Program

The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization rejected a report from the 'Institute for Science and International Security' regarding 'secret exemptions' granted to Iran for the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement, describing the report as a 'mistake' due to a lack of 'sufficient knowledge.' Ali Akbar Salehi emphasized in an interview with Japan's Kyodo News published on Monday, September 13, that 'how can a deal remain secret when you are in agreement with several partner countries?' Salehi also announced that Iran would not use any 'P1' type centrifuges after 10 years, as these machines would 'no longer be operational.' Reuters reported on September 2, citing the 'Institute for Science and International Security' (ISIS), that the 'Joint Commission of the JCPOA' had granted exemptions to Iran to prepare 'some nuclear facilities' by January 16 for the implementation of the nuclear agreement. According to this report, if such exemptions had not been granted, the timely implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action and the rapid lifting of sanctions would have been impossible. The 'Institute for Science and International Security' stated that based on these 'exemptions,' Iran was allowed to maintain more than 300 kilograms of enriched uranium, which was set in the Vienna nuclear agreement, and to exceed the number of centrifuges agreed upon. The White House and the U.S. State Department rejected this report, stating that Iran has complied with its commitments and remains committed to them. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) released a new report on the implementation of the Vienna nuclear agreement on Thursday, September 9, emphasizing that it has not observed any clear violations by Iran in relation to this agreement. However, the agency noted that there is a potential concern regarding Iran's commencement of work on 'rotor tubes' for centrifuges, which are used for uranium enrichment.